Abstract: A resistance exercise apparatus comprises a frame, a guide mounted on the frame, a resistance support movable relative to the guide along a path; and a resistance assembly for applying a resistance during an exercise. The resistance assembly includes a first resister having a first resistance, and a second resister having a second resistance. The first resistance and the second resistance are selectively and independently applied by the first resister and the second resister during an exercise. The first resister and the second resister are each arranged substantially symmetrically relative to the path.

Abstract: A food processing system includes a food processing chamber for processing a food product, such as meat products such as hot dogs, sausages, poultry, fish, and other food items. A high speed serial to parallel loading station delivery system is provided. The food product is loaded onto a conveyor in the processing chamber having a plurality of two-piece food product cradles having openings receiving the food product at the loading station and discharging the food product at the unloading station and having gaps between food product carriers distally oppositely spaced from the openings and defining food product cavities therebetween, the width of the openings varying during traversal of the conveyor through the chamber from the loading to the unloading stations.

Abstract: A high capacity food processing system, including for an elongated strand of food product such as hot dogs, sausage links, etc., has first and second loading stations with serial accumulators enabling intermittent stopping of the loading operation, which is a necessary and normal part of use, without disrupting a downstream thermal process, and enabling differential conveyor velocities through the loading stations, including a loading velocity for loading food product on the conveyor, a bypass velocity during intermittent non-loaded conveyor segments, and a transport velocity through the processing station, wherein the transport velocity is less than the bypass velocity and greater than the loading velocity, and where the transport velocity remains constant and the same during both of the loading and bypass velocities of the conveyor at the loading stations and also remains constant and the same during stopped movement of the conveyor at the loading stations.

Abstract: A food processing system includes a food processing chamber for processing a food product, such as meat products such as hot dogs, sausages, poultry, fish, and other food items. A high speed serial to parallel loading station delivery system is provided. The food product is loaded onto a conveyor in the processing chamber having a plurality of two-piece food product cradles having openings receiving the food product at the loading station and discharging the food product at the unloading station and having gaps between food product carriers distally oppositely spaced from the openings and defining food product cavities therebetween, the width of the openings varying during traversal of the conveyor through the chamber from the loading to the unloading stations.

Abstract: A food processing system for an elongated strand of food product, such as hot dogs or sausage links, provides aligned orientation of conveyor hooks and identical arrival time spacing between adjacent hooks at a reference loading point at a strand producing machine discharge station.

Abstract: A high capacity food processing system, including for an elongated strand of food product such as hot dogs, sausage links, etc., has first and second loading stations with serial accumulators enabling intermittent stopping of the loading operation, which is a necessary and normal part of use, without disrupting a downstream thermal process, and enabling differential conveyor velocities through the loading stations, including a loading velocity for loading food product on the conveyor, a bypass velocity during intermittent non-loaded conveyor segments, and a transport velocity through the processing station, wherein the transport velocity is less than the bypass velocity and greater than the loading velocity, and where the transport velocity remains constant and the same during both of the loading and bypass velocities of the conveyor at the loading stations and also remains constant and the same during stopped movement of the conveyor at the loading stations.

Abstract: A food processing system for an elongated strand of food product, such as hot dogs or sausage links, provides aligned orientation of conveyor hooks and identical arrival time spacing between adjacent hooks at a reference loading point at a strand producing machine discharge station.

Abstract: A support drum assembly is provided for a torque, nip and web tension type of reel. The support drum assembly includes an actuating mechanism disposed at one end of the support drum which enables one end of the drum to be raised or lowered with respect to the other end of the drum for adjusting the amount of backlash while the machine is in operation. The support drum assembly includes a cross shaft linkage which will allow at least two different backlash settings to be used at any time during the machine operation.

Abstract: A drive shaft is moved in a machine direction and a cross-machine direction to engage a spool on a winder. The drive shaft has an inner drive shaft which is elastically linked to an outer cylindrical shell, thereby allowing misalignment between the inner shaft and the outer shell and allows angular as well as horizontal and vertical displacement when the drive head engages the spool to provide centerwind assist to a roll of paper being formed thereon. The location of the drive shaft axis is determined at all times from geometric considerations and this data is used to position the drive shaft on the axis of the winding spool.

Abstract: An air spring apparatus has quick pressure release, and rapid air exhaust, capability by means of a relatively large diameter exhaust port in a larger, primary air spring which is controlled by the action of a smaller, secondary air spring. The secondary air spring is equipped with a check valve which controls the flow of air into the primary air spring. The rapid exhaust of the primary air spring is effected by triggering the removal of air pressure from the secondary air spring through a plurality of orifices in a centrally disposed guide tube which permits the collapse of the smaller air spring and the accompanying removal of a valve plate from a relatively large diameter exhaust port of the primary air spring.